Supporting Firefighters: Paul Davis of Tidewater and Virginia Beach helped clean the course mats used for the Firefighter Combat Challenge’s Southeast Regional Championship, which took place in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Paul Davis is a national sponsor of this nonprofit, which showcases the extraordinary fitness levels of the country’s firefighters in this traveling sports competition.

Networking for Hispanic Construction Community: The U.S. Small Business Administration Georgia District named Paul Davis of North Atlanta, Georgia, and Owner Wilson Tomala as the 2023 Georgia Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year. Tomala created the Hispanic Construction Association a decade ago and continues to support this local business group.

Driving Highway Clean-Ups: Paul Davis of Central Virginia joined the Adopt a Highway program, a grassroots movement active in 49 states that helps keep America’s highways litter-free. Team members recently cleaned a two-mile stretch of their adopted highway.  

Bringing Trucks Up Close: For the second consecutive year, Paul Davis, Red Deer, Alberta, volunteered for Touch-A-Truck, a family-friendly outdoor event that allows children to see and touch their favorite large vehicles. The event attracted 10,000 eager participants and proceeds supported the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre.

Fundraising for Autism: Paul Davis participated as a Platinum Sponsor in the Aspire Spring Gala 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The annual event, organized by Massachusetts General Hospital Aspire, supports children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum. 

#firstserveothers

Boarding up was a frequent need for customers of Paul Davis of Southeast Wisconsin. The brisk project load motivated Emergency Response Coordinator Christian Osell. “If we created a Board-Up Division in our office, we would serve customers faster and provide consistent, top-quality work by technicians with the right skills, equipment and training,” Osell says. “The dedicated division would be a welcome resource for our partners and local emergency services, too. They would know exactly who to call for an urgent boarding up project and our team would be ready to go.”

Brady Chuckel, Owner of Paul Davis of Southeast Wisconsin, greenlighted the initiative and an inspired Osell leapt into action. He trained team members on boarding up methods: choosing the right materials and techniques ensures a secure fit that allows building professionals easy access when restoration begins. He drafted processes to ensure boarding-up requests received immediate response. He collaborated with local police and firefighting services to ensure technical procedures aligned with emergency response needs. Osell even pitched in on raising awareness: he helped create marketing campaigns and a specialized Board-Up vehicle.

The Board-Up Division gained visibility rapidly in the community among customers and local partners. The effort drew admiring corporate recognition, too: Osell collected a prestigious national award at the recent company-wide conference.

Osell and Chuckel are nurturing the growing service. “This is a beneficial direction for our customers and the concept is scalable,” Chuckel notes. “Our North American network has the personnel, training, equipment, supplies and capacity to handle board-ups when many properties are affected by large scale disasters. We’re hoping that other locations follow Christian’s lead.”

Nearly every disaster damages a range of costly, fragile electronics. These devices, now omnipresent in commercial and residential life, store data and memories that can be devastating to lose. Cruz seized the opportunity to make big contributions in a contents category that was both practically and emotionally vital for customers. 

She learned quickly through self-training and company instruction, often seeking out online tutorials and manufacturer manuals. She devised parts maps to efficiently disassemble and then reconstruct delicate electronics items like computers, tablets and phones. She meticulously documented her work, leveraging her knowledge and data to speed restoration and refine restoration outcomes. 

Cruz’s drive and mastery garnered kudos: Paul Davis recently named her among its top Difference Makers, chosen from hundreds of employees in the North American network. The award recognizes exemplary staff members who consistently live the Paul Davis vision, mission, and values, and have made significant contributions to the overall success of the specific franchise location. 

Co-workers, colleagues, and business leaders alike recommended Cruz. “Jessica exemplifies safety, authenticity, and meaningful action in her job within the contents cleaning division. She demonstrates courage and conviction to do right and good actions when it matters most in taking care of our customers,” says Darren Impson, President and Owner of Paul Davis of Tampa in Florida. “Truth is the foundation and the definition of our purpose.”

One particular project typified her work ethic and stellar results. “Lightning struck an office and sparked a fire that left a ruined interior coated with soot, filled with debris and soaked with water,” Cruz explains. “The owner was devastated to find her laptop among the damaged contents. I restored her PC in 48 hours and saved the data as well.”

Customers sing her praises and regularly mention the extra mile she goes to represent Paul Davis. Colleagues enthusiastically described her as an incredibly hard worker who can adapt to any task or situation that she has been asked to fulfill. True to form, Cruz is expanding her skills beyond the electronics realm. Ever watchful for new ways to contribute, she regularly fills in as an emergency services and mitigation technician.

Are you a Difference Maker like Jessica Cruz? Contact us today to learn more about how a career with Paul Davis can fulfill your professional and personal goals while making the world a better place. Join The Differences Makers™!

“Extreme weather has become commonplace across North America and no location is immune to the risks,” says Brian Rigsby, Owner of Paul Davis of the Tri-State Area in Kentucky, noting that Texas, Colorado and Alabama have all broken their state records in recent years for the largest hailstones. “While you can’t control the weather, you can prepare for it. We advise our commercial and residential customers to follow the four Ps of smart summer storm preparation.”

1. Predict: Evaluate your risks. What types of storms are likely to strike your geographical location and how frequently? Do topographical and landscape features pose specific risks to the property during storms, such as dense tree cover in high winds or low elevations during heavy rainfall?
2. Protect: Upgrade property and structures to resist weather damage. Repair roofs, anchor gutters and strengthen doors and windows. Evaluate landscaping to ensure adequate drainage and trim trees. Lay in supplies, too. Stock up on batteries for flashlights. Many savvy homeowners are installing whole-house surge protectors to safeguard sensitive devices and generators to keep them running if the power fails.
3. Practice: Create an emergency plan, share the plan and practice implementing it. If it’s a business, Paul Davis will create tailored emergency preparedness plans (EPPs) comprising information specific to the property and operations, such as emergency contacts, preferred trade and supplier partners, specific mechanical room information, locations of shutoff switches. Paul Davis prepares EPPs free of charge.
4. Pay Attention: Keep apprised of weather forecasts for your area. If a storm is bearing down on your location, advance notice is extremely helpful to prevent damage. With time to prepare, you can park vehicles under cover and bring items inside that could become projectiles as wind increases. Charge cellular phones and locate flashlights in case of power outages, too.

Finally, select a disaster recovery partner long before storms strike. “We recommend that customers interview and choose a disaster mitigation and recovery partner before the weather threatens,” says Rigsby. “Knowing who to call when the roof lifts or the basement floods is the best route to recovery and minimizing a storm’s long-term impacts.”

“They were lucky it was a non-flammable fluid,” says Bob Hillier, President of Paul Davis of Greater Houston, Texas, who lives in a state that’s very familiar with extreme temperatures. “If they had left paint or a can of aerosol cleaner, they might have returned to a toasted hulk of metal that used to be a vehicle. Summer comes with some surprising hidden fire hazards.”

Hillier warns customers about some odd but dangerous fire risks of the warm months:

Refrigerators and freezers in hot garages: When compressors work continually to combat high ambient temperatures around them, they can overheat and ignite. 

Air conditioning unit extension cords: Extensions cords that are not designed to carry the required electric load heat up quickly and cause fires. Air conditioners themselves become fire hazards as they age: when motors work harder, they, too, may become too hot for safety.

Stored paints and chemicals: Chemicals exposed to direct sunlight in summer heat can cause a fire. Paints and fuels have exploded in some cases. Further, stored dirty rags – particularly if they are soaked with solvents, paints, cleaners or oils – are at risk of combusting even in comfortable temperatures.

Yard and pet waste: Dry clippings and pet waste won’t spontaneously combust but they will burn briskly if accidentally ignited. Pet waste releases high levels of flammable methane as it decomposes, which feeds flames.

Aging mulch piles: Anyone who composts organic waste is familiar with the warmth that the percolating material generates. If the pile is large enough, it may spontaneously combust. Mulch purveyors are very familiar with this tendency. They store mulch in modest piles and space them to prevent a fire in one from spreading to others.

And when it comes to fiery items in cars? Some of the hazards seem downright surreal. “News organizations recently warned people against leaving water bottles in hot cars,” Hillier says. “Apparently the plastic and water, left in direct sunlight, may focus the sun’s rays like a magnifying glass and heat up nearby materials. Imagine, water can cause a fire! But the overall message is one to heed: be careful of unusual fire risks in summertime.”

Mitigation and restoration after any fire requires a unique set of skills and experience. This is especially true when the damaged property is a commercial business. “A commercial fire causes widespread disruption,” says Nichole Hardy, Emergency Recovery Coordinator with Paul Davis of Portland/Vancouver. “A place of work, closing overnight, quickly plunges people into economic loss and emotional instability. Livelihoods are at risk. Income is threatened. A community is negatively affected. And, for a family business, a labor of love has been destroyed.”

Fortunately, Paul Davis specializes in knowing exactly what to do in terrible circumstances. They bring speed, knowledge, training and technical expertise, backed by a robust network of suppliers and partners. Hardy adds: “These four additional factors set Paul Davis apart for commercial fire restoration.” 

Our People: “We are very compassionate. We listen. We truly care. We take time to explain carefully and always tell the truth, because good communication and trust can’t exist without honesty. I told the restaurant owner, ‘Even if you don’t use Paul Davis, you can always call to ask a question or talk through a challenge. We’re here for you.’”

Our Leadership and Knowledge: “We help customers understand exactly what we can do to help. We shine a beacon through the chaos for the customer to follow, explaining what’s going to happen and what’s next. We often guide them through their insurance coverage and interface with their carrier. For the restaurant owner, for example, I explained that her policy may provide ‘loss of use’ coverage that compensates for the lack of income.” 

Our Capabilities: “The owner had a close friend she wanted to use for reconstruction. After seeing the damage, he told her: ‘I’am sorry, but we can’t do this.’ And he was right, there is a big difference between construction and fire restoration. It’s a unique skill set, a completely different approach on a much bigger scale.” Hardy explains: “I showed up with a few Paul Davis trucks on my first visit, ready to walk through the project immediately with technicians specifically trained to mitigate and restore fire-damaged structures.”

Our Reliability: “We showed up when we said we would, with the people we said we would bring, and did what we said we would do. Paul Davis gives shocked customers a solid foundation that they can count on to restore hope. So many things they had depended on became unpredictable overnight. We bring the certainty back.”

Donating to the Fire Service: Paul Davis, Lethbridge, Alberta, pledged $10,000 to the Stirling Fire Rescue Association to support the Structural Protection Unit Trailer, a tool used across southern Alberta to help protect buildings from fire spread.

Supporting Firefighter Families: Paul Davis of Utah donated free restoration services to a local firefighter and his family of six who were affected by a flood in their basement due to recent storms. The water damage mitigation and flooring work saved the family thousands of dollars.

Making Wishes Come True: Paul Davis of the Golden Triangle hosted a volunteer day for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in partnership with several local schools. A Make-A-Wish recipient helped the volunteers make calendars and handmade cards for those benefiting from the organization’s life-changing work for children with critical illnesses.

Renovating Community Structures: Paul Davis of Central Michigan pitched in during the Annual Day of Caring in downtown Bay City hosted by the United Way of Bay County. Team members power-washed and painted the Friendship Shell, a large oval landmark in the city. They also picked up trash and yard waste to beautify the surrounding park.

Coordinating Blood Drives: Paul Davis of Utah partnered with a local fire station and the Utah Home Builders Association to organize a blood drive for the American Red Cross. The effort collected 28 pints and welcomed 13 first-time donors, which will help save up to 84 lives.

#firstserveothers

“We hear this often,” says Brian Rigsby, President of Paul Davis of the Tri-State Area. “Customers aren’t confident about going into the attic to find out what’s going on. That makes sense: attics can be difficult to access and dangerous to enter if you’re not informed and careful.”

There is a way to safely make the trip, he says. Take time to prepare and plan, then enter and inspect methodically. And, he emphasizes, stop and call for help at any point.

• Prepare. Don protective gear that includes long clothing, sturdy shoes, gloves and a mask. Cover your head, too. Attics are famous for exposed roofing nails – called “ringers” by construction workers – that cause scrapes or puncture wounds. If your home is older, consider a professional inspection to guard against asbestos, unsafe footing or unstable areas. 

STOP: Do you feel safe proceeding at this point? If yes, continue below. If not, stop here and call Paul Davis or a qualified professional for help.

• Plan entry. Ensure lighting is adequate. If the attic is not well-lit, wear a headlamp. Carefully survey the attic from the access point. Beware of exposed wiring and a surface that lacks floorboards. If flooring is missing, joists provide the only reliable footing, which requires excellent balance.

STOP: Do you feel safe proceeding at this point? If yes, continue below. If not, stop here and call Paul Davis or a qualified professional for help.

• Enter. Note any strong smells or odors. Attics may concentrate air pollutants rising from the home below, for example. Old, cracked chimneys may allow fire gasses to infiltrate the space. Sewer gas may escape from the many vent pipes passing through the attic and piercing the roof. Further, people often use attics to store old paint or other chemicals that degrade over time, particularly in a space that experiences large temperature variations. 

STOP: Do you feel safe proceeding at this point? If yes, continue below. If not, stop here and call Paul Davis or a qualified professional for help.

• Inspect. Avoid disturbing insulation; fiberglass is irritating to skin, eyes and lungs. Beware of insects or animals, which adore an enclosed, protected and undisturbed space. Note issues:
  • Water staining
  • Wetness or moisture
  • Gaps in soffits, around vent pipes, in eaves, under roofing surfaces
  • Mold growth and/or odors
  • Air leaks and drafts
  • Dislodged insulation
  • Unstable, sagging, dislodged or rotting materials
  • Infestations: rodents, insects, birds, bats, ants and snakes favor attics

The Victorian house owners quickly uncovered the source of the odd noises: two raccoons cozily raising the next generation of kits. They also noted a small leak around a plumbing vent pipe, which explained the periodic dripping sounds.

After visits from an animal control company and a roofer, quiet reigned from above. “Attics are worth inspecting and maintaining,” Rigsby says. “They are important structural elements of your house and there are too many potential issues to ignore this space. If you’re not comfortable with a DIY foray, give us a call.”

There is literally no good reason for water to pond on a flat roof. “As a wise construction person once said, ‘water is both tiny and huge,’” Impson says. “’It sweeps away enormous features and also finds the most infinitesimal crack to seep through.’ Rectify ponding ASAP because water will find a way inside if you don’t.”

Ponding water leads to serious problems:

• Leaks and interior water damage
• Vegetation growth
• Damaged roofing materials
• Insect breeding
• Ice damage

Why might water pond?

Improper sloping. Flat roofs aren’t really flat. They feature very slight sloping that quickly channels rainfall off surfaces. If your new flat roof ponds, contact your installer to confirm the pitch is correct for your roof’s size and footprint.

Flashing problems. If your roof is new or recently updated, the edge of the roof may be too high, trapping the water before it can run off. Contact your installer or roofer to evaluate the area.

Debris. Leaves, branches and other debris may be blocking gutters and downspouts. Clear these carefully, hiring specialists to assist if removal is challenging. Scan roofing materials below the affected areas to ensure they remain sound.

Damage to roofing substructure. Flat roofs need strong support and sturdy underlayment to maintain proper sloping. Substructure damage can cause water to pond.

Damage to roofing materials. Sometimes, parts of the surface settle as roofing materials react to temperature extremes and physical contact (from hail, wind or falling debris). Qualified roofers can fix low spots; this is a common repair to these roofing systems.

Subsidence. It’s not very common but ground subsidence can shift the roof’s slope, particularly in regions prone to seismic activity. If the building’s foundation shifts, the flat roof shifts with it.

“If your flat roof does cause interior water damage? We’re here to help,” Impson reassures. “But with a little effort, you can prevent most trouble from your flat roof.”

“Very few serious issues arise suddenly,” says Kevin Sullivan, President of Paul Davis of Northern Virginia. “Most significant problems give hints that they are brewing. The homeowner’s best defense is to sharpen all five senses and spend a little time paying attention to what they tell you.” “If you catch plumbing and water supply issues before they get worse, repairs are less expensive and damage is minimized,” Sullivan says. “Pay attention to what your senses tell you. Most homeowners don’t need special tools or technology to pick up clues to a developing problem.”

Smell: Does your house reek of rotten eggs, sulfur or excrement? Those aromas may indicate that dangerous sewer gas is seeping into your home. Does the tap water stink? Your water supply pipes could be damaged or allowing contamination to infiltrate your water supply.

Sight: Is the tap water yellow, green or brown? Your pipes may be rusted, corroded and on the verge of failure. Do visible pipes – under the sink, in the basement or crawl space – show green, white or red discoloration? They could be slowly leaking through the seams or tiny pinhole defects.

Taste: Does your water taste bad or notably different than usual? This may be a sign that your pipes are damaged. Sometimes, however, water smells bad temporarily when a municipality performs maintenance or inspection on a public supply system.

Touch: Is the water pressure lessening, making it hard to rinse or fill tubs? Are you stepping on flooring that seems damp to the touch or saggy? Did you fill your shoes with muck by sinking ankle deep into a sudden puddle in the yard even though the weather has been fine? These may indicate a leak somewhere in the supply lines.

Hearing: Do you hear water running – or see your water meter spinning – when all fixtures and appliances are off? You may be hearing water leaking in hidden areas.

“Very few serious issues arise suddenly,” Sullivan says. “Most significant problems give hints that they are brewing. The homeowner’s best defence is to sharpen all five senses and spend a little time paying attention to what they tell you.”